EP-4739093-A1 - METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INDOOR FARMING

Abstract

Embodiments described herein generally relate to systems and methods for indoor farming. Containers having a lid and a basin can be used to grow plants in stagnant liquid growing medium (e.g., water and nutrients). The lid can contain solid growing medium (e.g., dirt) and seeds and/or plants. The lid can define slots that allow roots of plants to access the liquid growing medium. The containers can be stored in bays of a dense vertical rack system. Each bay can include a gravity feed system. A gantry can be operable to deposit containers into and retrieve containers from bays. Containers can be left in bays for plants to grow with no recirculation or agitation of liquid within the basins and little or no handling.

Inventors

• ROSS, JACK L.
• ROSS, MICHAEL D.

Assignees

• Beanstalk, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20230707

Claims (20)

1. 1. A system, comprising: a plurality of containers, each container from the plurality of containers including a basin and a lid, each basin filled with a solution of water and nutrients, each lid containing a solid growing medium and at least one of a seed or a plant, each lid including an opening configured to allow plant roots to protrude into the basin and access the solution of water and nutrients; and a rack that defines a plurality of bays, the plurality of bays arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, each bay having a depth configured to accept at least two containers from the plurality of containers in a single stack configuration, each bay from the plurality of bays including a gravity feed system configured to urge containers from the plurality of containers within that bay towards a front of the rack, each bay from the plurality of bays including a light source and configured to allow the at least one of the seed or the plant in containers from the from the plurality of containers disposed in that bay to grow.
2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each bay from the plurality of bays has a depth configured to accept at least three containers from the plurality of containers in a single-stack configuration.
3. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein each bay from the plurality of bays has a depth configured to accept at least eight containers from the plurality of containers in a single-stack configuration.
4. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the rack includes a gate disposed in front of a bay from the plurality of bays, the gate configured to pivot between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the gate configured to prevent a container from the plurality of containers from exiting that bay in the closed configuration, the gate having a center of gravity below a pivot point of the gate such that the gate automatically closes.
5. 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a gantry configured to move between the plurality of bays and insert a container from the plurality of containers into a bay from the plurality of bays or retrieve a container from the plurality of bays from a bay from the plurality of bays.
6. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the rack includes a gate disposed in front of a bay from the plurality of bays, the gate configured to move between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the gate configured to prevent a container from the plurality of containers from exiting that bay in the closed configuration, the system further comprising: a gantry configured to move between the plurality of bays, the gantry including an actuator configured to move the gate from the closed configuration to the open configuration, the gantry configured to insert a container from the plurality of containers into a bay from the plurality of bays or retrieve a container from the plurality of bays from a bay from the plurality of bays when the gate is in the open configuration.
7. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein each bay from the plurality of bays and each container from the plurality of containers is configured to allow the at least one of the seed or the plant in each container from the plurality of containers to grow to maturity while each container from the plurality of containers is disposed in a bay from the plurality of bays, without recirculation or agitation of the of the solution of water and nutrients in any container from the plurality of containers
8. 8. A system, comprising: a plurality of containers, each container from the plurality of containers including a basin and a lid, each basin filled with a solution of water and nutrients, each lid containing a solid growing medium and at least one of a seed or a plant, each lid including an opening configured to allow plant roots to protrude into the basin and access the solution of water and nutrients; and a rack that defines a plurality of bays, the plurality of bays arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows, each container from the plurality of containers disposed in a bay from the plurality of bays, at least two containers from the plurality of containers disposed, in a single-stack configuration, in one bay from the plurality of bays, each bay from the plurality of bays including a light source configured to illuminate containers from the plurality of containers disposed in that bay, each bay from the plurality of bays and each container from the plurality of containers configured to allow the at least one of the seed or the plant in each container from the plurality of containers to grow to maturity while each container from the plurality of containers is disposed in a bay from the plurality of bays, without recirculation or agitation of the solution of water and nutrients in any container from the plurality of containers.
9. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein each bay from the plurality of bays includes a gravity feed system configured to urge containers from the plurality of containers within that bay towards a front of the rack.
10. 10. The system of claim 8, wherein each container from the plurality of containers defines a plurality of slots, each slot from the plurality of slots including the solid growing medium and at least one of a seed or a plant, each slot from the plurality of slots including an opening configured to allow plant roots to protrude into the basin and access the solution of water and nutrients.
11. 11. The system of claim 8, wherein each bay from the plurality of bays and each container from the plurality of containers is configured to allow the at least one of the seed or the plant in each container from the plurality of containers to grow to maturity while each container from the plurality of containers is disposed in a bay from the plurality of bays, without filling or draining any container from the plurality of containers.
12. 12. The system of claim 8, wherein: each bay from the plurality of bays includes a gravity feed system configured to urge containers from the plurality of containers within that bay towards a front of the rack; and the rack includes a gate disposed in front of a bay from the plurality of bays, the gate configured to pivot between an open configuration and a closed configuration, the gate configured to prevent a container from the plurality of containers from exiting that bay in the closed configuration, the system further comprising: a gantry configured to move between the plurality of bays and insert a container from the plurality of containers into a bay from the plurality of bays or retrieve a container from the plurality of bays from a bay from the plurality of bays.
13. 13. A method, comprising: loading a container from a plurality of containers onto a platform of a gantry, the container including a basin and a lid, the basin filled with water and nutrients, the lid containing a solid growing medium, at least one of a seed or a plant, and opening configured to allow plant roots to access liquid in the basin; depositing the container in a bay of a rack system, the bay having a gravity feed system and containing at least two other containers from the plurality of containers, depositing the container into the bay including pushing the container and the at least two other containers into the bay; and storing the container and the at least two other container in the bay while plants grow in the container and the at least two other containers, the bay being illuminated and climate controlled.
14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the container is stored in the bay while plants grow in the container and roots extend into stagnant water disposed in the basin.
15. 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising filling the basin with water and nutrients such that no part of the lid contacts the liquid.
16. 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: storing the lid of the container in a stack of lids prior to loading the container onto the platform of the gantry until the seed germinates into a plant; and placing the lid onto the basin after the seed germinates and roots protrude through the opening such that the roots can access the liquid in the basin but such that the liquid does not contact the solid growing medium in the lid.
17. 17. A method, comprising: placing a lid containing a solid growing medium and a seed in a storage area for germination; after the seed germinates into a plant, placing the lid atop a basin containing water and nutrients to form a container, the lid including an opening to allow roots of the plants to protrude through the lid and into the basin such that the roots can access the water and nutrients, when the lid is placed atop the basin no portion of the lid contacting the liquid; and storing the container in a climate-controlled environment, such that the plant can grow to maturity in the container, with roots accessing the liquid, without agitating or recirculating the liquid.
18. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the lid is from a plurality of lids, each lid from the plurality of lids containing a solid growing medium and a seed, each lid from the plurality of lids placed one atop the other in the storage area for germination.
19. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the lid is from a plurality of lids, each lid from the plurality of lids containing a solid growing medium and a seed, each lid from the plurality of lids covered and placed one atop the other in the storage area for germination.
20. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein while the plant grows, roots of the plant uptake the liquid, reducing a height of liquid within the basin and exposing at least a portion of the roots to air within a headspace of the basin such that the plants can grow in stagnant liquid.

Description

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INDOOR FARMING TECHNICAL FIELD [1001] The embodiments described herein relate to methods and devices for farming indoors, typically without irrigation. More particularly, the embodiments described herein relate to a portable container and accompanying apparatuses used for growing plants in a dense three-dimensional array. Certain containers and accompanying apparatus are constructed such that they are compatible with standard material handling equipment (e.g., forklifts, racking, flow rails, conveyors). BACKGROUND [1002] Controlled environment agriculture is capable of growing produce that is more flavorful, sustainable, and available than conventional agriculture. These qualities are particularly important today, because wellness and healthy eating are rapidly growing trends among consumers, but those consumers are often left choosing produce from conventional farms that is bland, expensive, unavailable, and/or often spoiled. Controlled environment agriculture allows a wider variety of seeds to be grown closer to consumers which creates fresher and tastier options by reducing travel time and removing the risks from pests, climate, or soil makeup. Moreover, controlled environment agriculture eliminates water pollution and reduces water consumption relative to conventional farming methods. [1003] However, current technologies used in controlled environment agriculture are very complex and expensive, which has severely limited wide-scale adoption. Much of the expense and complexity results from the infrastructure needed to build indoor farms, store growing plants, and frequently irrigate plants. [1004] Some known devices and methods for controlled environment vertical farming include aeroponic systems, drip and nutrient film technique (NFT) irrigation systems through gutters, deep water culture, and flood and drain systems. Accordingly, each of these technologies require large initial investments to pay for the complex infrastructure and irrigation systems to reach the plants on all levels. These irrigation systems increase operational complexity, and they require additional space for pipes and human access aisles. Due to these recirculating irrigation systems, expensive, synthetic grow media is often required to prevent clogging in nozzles and/or pumps. Aeroponic systems, moreover, will often fail when electrical power is lost as the plants need to be continually irrigated. This irrigation method results in a need for backup generators and complex control systems to ensure plants are always receiving proper irrigation. [1005] Another drawback is that these systems are typically built from the ground up, requiring a great deal of time to get up and running. Greenhouses, which often use NFT or deep water culture, require entirely new structures to be built which can take years to select a site, construct, and then install the custom hydroponic equipment like gutters for NFT or ponds for deep water culture. Vertical farms, on the other hand, can often use an existing warehouse, but the construction of their intricate infrastructure that enables irrigation systems to access every plant adds a great deal of expense and time. Additionally, the need to access irrigation systems in the event of failure necessitates many service access areas around the infrastructure, often aisles between every tower in a vertical farm or gutter in a greenhouse. These access areas reduce the density of the farm and thus increase real estate costs. All of these disadvantages work together to increase the cost of building and maintaining a controlled environment farm. [1006] Thus, a need exists for an improved device and methods for vertical farming that maintains the benefits of existing systems, including conserving water, eliminating runoff, and enabling local production of produce while also removing the need for complex irrigation systems, allowing growing plants to be easily moved, growing a wide variety of plants, and using inexpensive, natural, and reusable media (or medium) such as dirt or soil. Additionally, there is a need for a system robust and capable enough to withstand power outages and other events as people often depend on the food produced by the system. Finally, there is a need for a system that can use inexpensive and naturally abundant materials such as dirt or soil to grow as well as common infrastructure such as pallet racking to reduce the cost and time to build a facility to grow food. SUMMARY [1007] Some embodiments described herein relate to a novel container for growing plants. This container can have a size and shape similar to a pallet so that it is compatible with standard material handling equipment and infrastructure. A lid that has a pattern of trenches that can be filled with soil, dirt, or other growing media. These trenches can contain an opening at the bottom of the trench to enable roots to pass through the lid into a basin defined by the container that is underneath t